The Drabbles of Beedle the Bard
by Muggleborn Weasley
Summary: A series of one shots using the 199 chapter titles from the seven novels. Canon, non-canon, widely accepted fanon. Different generations and pairings. Basically just whatever the hell comes to mind. Please read and review. Thank you
1. Author note and Intro

**The Drabbles of Beedle the Bard**

I just wanted to take a minute to explain exactly what this is without having to summarise it for a blurb box. Basically I'm going to write a one-shot using the chapter titles from the original seven books – so that's 199 one shots. These one shots won't have anything to do with one another, and I'll jump between ships, eras, genres and I'll jump constantly between canon and non-canon. So yeah, I think that's about it. I'm gonna shut up now and let you read.

Obviously I don't own anything you recognise because it's all JKR's.

Please review.

Thank you,

Muggleborn Weasley


	2. The Keeper of Keys

**Chapter Summary**

Hagrid helps Teddy through a particularly difficult time

* * *

 **The Keeper of Keys**

 _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Chapter 4_

Teddy Lupin sat in the common room, pretending to read his book, as he waited for the rest of the students to go to their beds. There weren't many people left, just a few doing homework. "Teddy?" He jumped a mile when James put a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?" Teddy nodded, but James knew he was lying. "Mate, you're doing that thing you do when you're stressed. Your hair won't stop changing colour." Teddy rolled his eyes. He had to train himself not to do that, he was fed up of it giving him away. "It's tonight isn't it?" James continued to talk even though Teddy hadn't said a word. They both knew he was talking about the moon. Again, Teddy just nodded.

"Can I help?" "I don't know," Teddy paused. He and James had grown up almost as close as brothers, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to confide in him about this. James sat on the floor next to Teddy. "What's up?" James pushed Teddy to talk. Teddy sighed, realising that avoiding this whole conversation just wasn't going to happen. "It's the wolf. It's been getting stronger recently, particularly over the summer and I don't know what to do. Vic brewed Wolfsbane over the summer because we both thought it would help, but all it did was just about kill me. Like no joke, Molly was threatening to take me to Mungo's and everything. It was bad." "Why didn't you say something? This is, what, the third moon since term started. We could have helped. Well tried to. You know me and Albie are a bit hopeless at potions or in fact any form of practical magic that might help anyone in life, but I'm sure Vic, Rose and Hugo could have done something. That's how it works here, we all help each other out." "I don't want to put anyone in danger," Teddy told him. "I don't know if it's likely but I'm scared I might eventually go full blown wolf or something." "Teddy..." James started slowly, unsure of how he would react, "Last moon, you were always last to bed and first up. You said you weren't sleeping much." "Yeah? I wasn't." "Moon or no moon, you sleep nineteen hours a day any day through summer and Christmas holidays." "What's your point?" Teddy went on the defensive. "Just that you don't do 'not much sleep'. You of all people can't function without sleep. So, where did you sleep?" Teddy didn't speak, but James waited. Teddy looked around the room, deciding it was empty enough to then whisper to James. "I may or may not have taken the occasional nap in the forest." "What!" James yelled, "As in the forbidden one? Are you completely mad? There's all sorts of shit in there!" "Would you stop shouting!" Teddy hissed, "And that's why – as you so eloquently put it, there's all sorts of shit in there. What's another wolf?" "Teddy, you're not actually a werewolf, remember? Yeah for some biological or magical reason, whatever, you're a little bit wolf-y, but you're still human and you're can still be hurt or killed by at least half the creatures in that forest. You can't just put yourself in danger like that. It's called the Forbidden Forrest for a reason." James put a particularly heavy emphasis on the word forbidden. "You really want to help me then?" "Yes." James was firm. "Can I borrow the cloak?"

"You are not sneaking out again. That's not me helping, that's me enabling." "James, this is the last time I do this. We'll come up with a better plan for the next time." "Right fine," James sighed. He'd rather do anything than give Teddy the cloak, but he knew there was no point in arguing anymore. James started digging around in his satchel for it. When he produced the cloak from the depths of crap in his bag he saw that Teddy was giving him a strange look. "What? I'm kinda avoiding Filch a little bit. Never know when you might need to be invisible." "As a Prefect I don't want to know. Tell me in the summer." "As always. You have to promise not to go too deep into the forest. If you can't see the castle you're too far in and-" James started to fuss, but Teddy cut him off. "Yes okay Molly. I'll be safe." "Speaking of Granny, should she ever find out about this, you stole the cloak. Same goes for mum and dad. They'll kill us. I mean they'll kill you for doing this, but I don't need dragged into it. I can't believe I'm letting you do something so stupid and reckless that breaks at least three school rules. That's a bloody awful example for a Prefect to set." James tried to joke, but it fell flat. What he actually wanted to do was offer to go with Teddy, but he knew it was pointless. "Thank you James." "I think you're an idiot, man." "Well, that's mutual." It didn't take a genius to work out that 'I think you're an idiot' actually meant 'I love you'. "One more favour? Don't tell anyone, especially Vic. She'll absolutely flip her shit." "I won't say a thing." James smiled. Teddy stood up and slung a small bag over his shoulder. He threw his book onto the sofa and put the cloak on. "I'll see you in the morning." And with that he left the common room. He basically ran the whole way from the Gryffindor common room and through the secret passages that weren't exactly secret to anyone who had grown up surrounded by Potters and Weasleys. He didn't slow down any until he was clear of the castle. He could feel the wolf tugging inside him. Once safely hidden in a few rows of trees, Teddy took the cloak off and prepared himself for a long cold night – after all, it was remote Scotland in the middle of winter. Teddy sat under the tree and let everything wash over him. It was strange, and he could never describe, how it felt when there was a full moon. It was almost like being drunk, but without the lack of logic, inhibitions or anything else people drink to get rid of. The nights were, quite often, a blur. Sometimes he remembered, sometimes he didn't. Sometimes he thought he remembered but actually things had happened differently. The biggest worry for Teddy, however, was that more and more often instinct was winning out over logic. With every recent moon he had lost more and more humanity. Suddenly, Teddy was aware of something moving in the shadows. He put one hand around his wand, keeping it in his pocket, but otherwise stayed perfectly still. He could see the unknown creature was slowly, and rather sinisterly, making its way towards him. Teddy could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his body tensing, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Before he could do anything about it, there was 110lbs of bloodhound sitting in his lap, licking his face. "Oh bugger off would you Gilly." Teddy attempted to push the dog off him, but she was having none of it. She bounced straight back up and started smothering him with affection again, barking this time. Teddy sighed and pet the huge daft dog that he secretly had a soft spot for. "Gilly!" Hagrid called her from the direction she appeared. "Oh balls!" Teddy thought. He stood up and tried to run, however, Gilly had the invisibility cloak trapped between her giant jaws. If he ran, the cloak would rip. If he didn't run, Hagrid would catch him out of bounds after curfew. Leaving the cloak and making a run for it wasn't an option either. Teddy knew if he left it behind either James or Albus would get the blame for this – not to mention they'd lose the cloak. Knowing James and Albus they'd take the blame as well and not let Teddy confess the truth. They were both incredibly stupid, and perhaps kind, like that. In the end, Teddy just accepted that McGonagall was going to strip him of prefect duty and give him

detention for the rest of his natural life. "Gilly!" Hagrid whistled and she half growled, half barked back to him, making sure not to let go of Teddy. "What have you got now you daft lump?" Hagrid asked as, he too, appeared from the shadows. "Teddy?" He sounded more surprised than Teddy thought he might. "I can explain. Please don't march me back up to the castle. McGonagall will put my head on a spike." "Gilly, here." Hagrid commanded. She pretty much ignored him, but she did let go of the bottom of the cloak and sit down next to Teddy. "You lot are my second generation of troublesome Weasleys and my third of Potters. I've heard it all, so this had better be good." Hagrid tried to sound tough, but even in the dark Teddy could see the look of a concerned father written all over his face, and he had the twinkle of an amused friend in his eye. "It's the moon and the wolf. They don't like each other." Teddy explained sheepishly. Hagrid smiled. "Come on, I'll put the kettle on." Teddy smiled and followed Hagrid the short distance to his hut. Gilly bounded around them like a huge, happy mechanical bull on crack. When they got to the hut, Gilly bounded straight for her basket and started chewing on a much loved toy that Teddy couldn't even guess what it had started life off as. "Si' down." Hagrid told him. "Tea?" "Please." Hagrid put the kettle on the stove and joined Teddy at the table. "How's yer last year goin'?" Hagrid asked. "Not bad. I still hate potions. We've been learning about Wolfsbane and the smell of it just about knocks me out." "Yer da' said the exact same thing to me when he was in his last year, ye'know. It's a strange one Wolfsbane, isn't it? Does wonders when the moon comes around but it'll just about kill ye any other time." "I just wish it worked for me. We, me and Vic, have spent the past year or so messing about with it. Trying different methods, different strengths, quantities, everything. Nothing works." "That's because yer not a werewolf. Yer human, yer just more sensitive to wolf stuff." "The wolf's getting stronger though," Teddy explained, "I can't control it as well anymore. I'm losing to it. I feel like Bruce Banner losing to the Hulk." Hagrid looked at him blankly. "Never mind, it's a muggle thing. Doesn't matter." "It won't be easy, but ye'll learn what makes it easier for ye, just like yer old man did." Hagrid told him. "I wish I could talk to him about it." "I know kid," Hagrid smiled sympathetically as the kettle started to whistle. "Ye'know, I know a lad, few years older than you, lovely bloke." Hagrid stood to rescue the kettle that sounded like it was getting tortured, "He's in the same position as you. His mam's a werewolf, his da' isn't. His da's actually a muggle, but that's not the point. I can put ye in touch with him if ye want. I know it's not the same as talking to yer da' but at least ye'd know yer not alone." "Hagrid that would be amazing, thank you." Teddy was incredibly overwhelmed at Hagrid's kindness and sympathy. He often felt that Hagrid undermined his own kindness with his modesty. Teddy just hoped that he knew how loved he was by all the students at Hogwarts. He was also hugely overwhelmed by that fact that there was someone just like him out there somewhere. He wasn't entirely surprised, but it wasn't something he had ever thought about before. Hagrid put the teas on the table along with a plate of biscuits. The biscuits peaked Gilly's interest and she padded over. She immediately dumped her heavy head in Teddy's lap and waited patiently to be fed. Teddy scratched her head and gave her half a digestive. "Aw jist tell 'er to bugger off. She's a nothin' but a big sook." Teddy smiled but continued to scratch her head. Teddy had always loved dogs, but they had always been wary of him. They probably sensed the wolf. But then there was Gilly. Gilly literally didn't care about anything as long as somebody pet her. "I've never had much luck with my guard dog's ye'know. Last one I had, Fang, great dog so he

was, scared of everthin' and everyone though and this one's far too trustin'." "She's such a great dog though, everyone loves her." They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching Gilly try to catch any ash thrown out the fire. "Did you know my parents well?" Teddy asked, breaking the silence. "I knew yer da' fairly well in his school days. There were sometimes he got himself into a right state during the moons. Now Madame Pomfrey, God bless her, brilliant witch and healer, but sometimes she forgot about tender loving care amongst all her potions, spells and bandages. And it won't surprise ye ta fin' out I knew yer ma' from detention. In all her years here, I don't think there wasn't a week she wasn't in detention. When I joined the Order I got to know them a lot better. Amazin' people Teddy, truly amazin'. They'd both be so prouda ye." Teddy felt a lump start to rise in his throat and he was sure he's start to cry. His whole life, he had been told his parents would be proud of him, but no one had ever said it so genuinely as Hagrid just had. "Tell me ye werna gon' sleep out there were ye?" Hagrid asked, his voice full of concern again. Teddy just looked sheepishly at the floor, well he would have looked at the floor had there not been a giant dog head in his lap again. "Teddy, ye can't. I don' even know wha's out there anymore. It really isn'a safe anymore." "I know that, but I'd rather something hurt me than I hurt someone else." "Yer not gon' hurt anyone son." "Nobody knows that. I don't know what's going to happen from one moon to the next." "I know it's not much, but ye can sleep on m' couch if ye don' wanta sleep in the castle. If yer really that worried about it." "I appreciate the offer, but I can't put you out like that." "Ye wouldna be putting me out any." "What if I hurt you?" "Ye won't. If yer sleepin here, d'ye really think Gilly's gonna leave yer side. She loves ya and, wolf or no wolf, nothin' moved Gilly when she's sleepin. It'll be fine." "You're sure?" "I wouldna' offered if I wasn't." "Thank you, thank you Hagrid. I don't know how I'll ever repay you." "No repayments. It's nothin' really. Although, I'm not exactly a young man anymore. Promise if anythin' happens t'me ye'll look after that daft aul' git?" Hagrid nodded towards the dog, whose head was still firmly planted in Teddy's lap, and laughed. "Of course," Teddy also laughed. They chatted late on into the night. They spoke of Remus and Nymphadora – and how she hated to be called Nymphadora. Teddy asked all the questions he couldn't ever asked his grandmother or the Potters. They spoke of Teddy's studies and even of Hagrid's school days. Neither of them got more than a little sleep, but it didn't matter. Teddy was contented, for now. Hagrid has, unknown to Teddy, used the same method he used with Remus all those years ago. Distract the scared boy and the wolf is never so bad. A wolf can't hunt if there is no prey. It was true, Rubeus Hagrid was much more than the Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts. He was, and always would be, the school's unsung hero.


	3. Fallen Warrior

**Chapter Summary**

All the big moments of Harry and Ginny's life together

* * *

 **Fallen Warrior**

 _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Chapter 5_

Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley had never had, what was widely considered, a normal life. They had often hoped that life would settle down after Hogwarts, but they quickly learned that the quiet life didn't suit them. By the time Harry was twenty-one, and Ginny twenty, he was a highly successful Auror - and was up for a promotion to become the Auror Unit Leader - and Ginny was the youngest team captain in the history of the Holyhead Harpies. Life was always busy - hectic in fact, but they made it work.

The morning if her twenty-first birthday, Ginny skipped down the stairs of Twelve Grimmauld Place, where she had semi-officially moved in with Harry. "Do I smell pancakes?" She asked, bursting through the door of the newly redecorated kitchen. "Yes you do," Harry answered, putting the last few on a plate. "Good morning darling. Happy birthday." Harry gave her a quick peck on the lips and they sat down across the new, smaller dining table from each other.

"Would you like your present just now?" Harry asked. Ginny had a mouthful of pancake, so had to settle for nodding frantically. "Remember I went to Gringotts a few months ago? Actually, it might even have been as far back as Christmas?"

"Vaguely, yeah." "Well, I'm glad I went when I did, because I found something in the vault." Harry lifted a small wooden chest on to the table. "Is that your mum's?" Ginny asked softly. "I doubt it was my dad's." Harry laughed gently. "Now, while you are welcome to wear whatever you like from it, my mum's old jewellery box isn't technically your birthday present. This is." Harry opened the chest and took out a much smaller, burgundy velvet box. "This was my mother's engagement ring." Ginny clapped a hand over her mouth when Harry told her, tears welling up in her eyes. "Remus left me a note in the jewellery box telling me that this was my mum's ring and advising me that I make sure I give it to the right girl. So," Harry slid off his seat and on to one knee in front of Ginny. He opened the ring box. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you do me the tremendous honour of marrying me?" "Yes," Ginny said, laughing and crying. Harry smiled up at her as he slid the ring on to her finger, tears beginning to well up in his eyes too.

The next six months were a blur if Quidditch matches, tracking down Death Eaters and frantic wedding planning. Soon enough, June rolled around. The wedding was in the same marquee as Bill and Fleur, and in fact every other Weasley since, had gotten married in - and it would be Ron and Hermione's turn at the end of the summer. Harry had cried when Ginny walked down the aisle. She had never looked so beautiful in all her life, and given how beautiful she was on an average day, that was really saying something. Harry hadn't thought it possible that anybody could have ever looked perfect. The ceremony went off without a hitch, and before either Harry or Ginny knew what was happening, it was time for their first dance. Once on the floor, Harry began to have terrifying flashbacks to the Yule Ball, and was eternally grateful that Ron and Neville had given him dance lessons in preparation for the wedding.

"How long do you have before you have to go back to work?" Harry asked as they danced. "Because I was thinking if you don't have to go back right away, we could extend our honeymoon and go exploring in France or Italy or both." "I've been thinking about that, and I'm going to take a break from Quidditch. It might be time to

give it up all together to be honest." She told him. Concern spread across Harry's face. "Why? Quidditch is your passion." It was true, Ginny lived for Quidditch. Sure, they didn't exactly need the money, but Harry didn't want Ginny giving up on her dreams just because they were now married. "Yeah, I love Quidditch, but I'm going to need to stop playing now. Probably for at least a year." A smile started to sneak its way on to Ginny's face, however, Harry's eyebrows just about stitched themselves together in confusion. It was starting to become apparent to him that he has missing something. "Harry, I'm pregnant." Ginny laughed, pure joy totally taking over her. Harry pulled her into a tight bear hug. She could feel him starting to cry. "Dude, be cool." She warned, still laughing. "It's way too early to start telling people." "I love you Ginny Potter." "I love you too."

The nine months after the wedding had been even more manic than the six before it - and life was not about to get easier for the young couple. Everyone had been full of congratulations when they announced their news and then it was a race against time to prepare a nursery and generally baby- proof Twelve Grimmauld Place. Also, thanks to a stroke of brilliance from Hermione, Harry and Ron had finally manage to get the portrait of Sirius' mother off the wall using paint thinner and scrapers - or as Ron had called it 'muggle magic' - so the crabbit old bat was no longer shouting vulgar comments at anyone who visited.

On February 8th, two Potters became three with the arrival of a healthy and beautiful baby boy. For what may have been mere moments, or could have perhaps been hours, the Potters just stared at their son who slept peacefully in his mother's arms. "Would you like to hold James?" Ginny asked quietly so she didn't wake the baby.

"James?" Harry asked, choking up, but still taking the baby, knowing that Ginny must be exhausted. "We never discussed baby names." "I didn't think there was a discussion to be had," Ginny told him honestly. "James Sirius if he was a boy. Lily Luna for a girl. No?" "Yes," Harry bent down carefully, being mindful of baby James in his arms, and kissed Ginny's forehead. "I love you," he told her for the millionth time that day. "I love you too." "Ginny, I love the name and I love Lily Luna, but what do we do if the next one's a boy too?" "Oh my God, Harry, no. We are not talking about a 'next one' until that one's out of nappies. Do you understand?" Ginny laughed.

Every year since the Battle of Hogwarts seemed to go quicker than the one before it, and the first year of their son's life was no exception. It had been an incredibly busy year as far as big sentimental moments went. Harry and Ginny had celebrated their first wedding anniversary, their son's first Christmas, and just a week ago, their son's first birthday. Harry and Ginny lay in bed one night in late February.

"I don't want to get too ahead of myself," Harry said, "but do you think we might get out of the house for one night to celebrate our anniversary this year?" He laughed. "I hope so. I don't feel so bad asking people to babysit now that he sleeps through the night." Ginny said, "But I still wouldn't dump him on Ron and 'Mione. They don't need the hassle at the moment."

"Being pregnant still got her knocked for sixes?" "Yeah and I feel really bad because there's nothing any of us can really do to help her." "I guess I never appreciated how lucky we got with James." Harry said thoughtfully. "Yeah. I just hope we get as lucky this time round." Ginny said, not even looking up from her book, as if it were nothing. She would have used the same tone to comment on the weather. Harry, however, couldn't contain his excitement. He threw his book to the floor and rolled onto his side to face her.

"You are joking?" He was grinning from ear to ear. Ginny laughed and shook her head. "I have to confess though. Mum already knows, she caught me throwing up last weekend and knew immediately." "Ginny, I don't even care. We're going to have another baby!" Harry half-squealed and started giggling before hugging Ginny tightly and kissing her. "If you're not quiet you're going to wake the baby we already have." Ginny told him. "I love you." "I love you too you moron." Ginny teased affectionately.

Harry and Ginny soon learned that preparing for a second child is and entirely different experience than preparing for your first. For starters, they already had a crib and a pram - along with a lot more. This time, however, they had to explain to James that he was going to have a baby brother or sister. Harry and Ginny had spent months stressing about how James would react to the baby, but there worries were put to ease with the arrival of their niece, Rose. James had absolutely adored her since day one. On the 17th of October, the Potter's lives were changed once more, with the arrival of their second son.

"What should we name him?" Harry asked. The baby was currently in the St. Mungo's nursery, and it was the first time since he was born that Harry and Ginny had had two minutes alone. "I have no idea. I was so sure he was going to be a girl that I hadn't even thought about names." Ginny admitted.

"What about Albus?" Harry suggested. Ginny was quiet for a really long time. "Well, say something." Harry eventually prompter her to speak. "I mean, I like the name enough as a name, but are you sure you want to name our child after Dumbledore? I know he was important to you, but do you think he's the best man for our son to aspire to be?" Ginny could see Harry was hurt, "I'm not saying no, I like the name. I'm happy to call him Albus, I just need you to be sure Harry." "I'm sure." He said confidently. "Middle name?" Ginny asked. "Arthur?" Harry suggested, but Ginny shook her head. "Dad would appreciate the gesture, but he hates his name and won't want it to become a family thing. Remus?" Ginny countered. Even as she suggested it, she knew Harry was going to say no. "Teddy's middle name is Remus." Harry shot her suggestion down. They sat in silence, both thinking. Eventually, Harry broke the silence. "What about Severus?" He said. Ginny just stared at him, clearly unamused, and blinked a few times. "Is that a joke?" She asked. "What?" "Severus. Is that a fucking joke?" She asked again. "No," Harry was confused as to why she was, in his eyes, overreacting. "Severus. As in Severus Snape?" "Yes." Harry knew an outburst was coming and he braced himself for it, leaning as far away from Ginny as he could in case she decided to hit him or throw something at him. "Severus Snape, the man who called your mother a Mudblood and is at least partially responsible for your parents deaths, tried to out Remus as a wolf - knowing it would ruin his life - killed Dumbledore and tortured hundreds of students both mentally and physically when Death Eaters took control of the school." Ginny was fuming and she wasn't even close to finished her rant. "I mean Jesus Christ Harry, do you hate this baby or something? You might as well call him Albus 'Barty Crouch Jr' Potter, or if you want him to have a bit more of a muggle name Albus Hitler Potter has quite a nice ring to it. I bet not very many people have named their kids after Umbridge. Don't you think Albus Dolores Potter sounds quite cute? Or you could cut all the crap and just straight up call him Albus fucking Voldemort Potter." By the time she had finished, both she and Harry were certain she had never yelled so loud in her life, and quite rightly too. She couldn't believe he wanted to name their baby after Severus Snape. Harry really should have learned by now when to shut up, but it was a skill he was still trying to master.

now when to shut up, but it was a skill he was still trying to master.

"He'll never know what Snape was like in reality," Harry defended his choice. "But think about it. Snape came from nothing and everything went against him his whole life. He was a Slytherin who was bullied relentlessly, but despite that he still went on to be Headmaster at Hogwarts." "A wrongful Headmaster. You can't shield them from everything Harry. They'll find out one way or another exactly who Snape is and what he did, I mean they teach about the Battle in History of Magic now."

"Then we just make sure he has the best, if not slightly warped, impression of Snape before he goes to school." "This really means a lot to you?" She asked, a note of resignation in her voice and also sounding a lot calmer after her outburst a moment before. Harry nodded. She was still incredibly frustrated, not to mention exhausted and entirely reluctant to name her son after a man she had deemed, more than once, 'the biggest prick in all of Britain'.

"I need to think about this." She told him. Harry understood that, so he nodded and stayed quiet. "I also need to sleep. Can we talk about this later?" "Of course. I'll go and pick James up from Andromeda's and we'll be back before you wake up. I love you."

"I love you too."

The next two years passed in the blink of an eye. There was never a dull day in Twelve Grimmauld Place with two young toddlers charging about the place, knocking over everything in sight. If the first two years were anything to go by, the boys were going to be absolute murder and the best of friends. One morning in early August, Harry was awoken by an all too familiar sound that made his blood run cold. "Ginny, honey? You okay?" He called through the en suite bathroom door. The sound of Ginny throwing up stopped just long enough for her to call back. "Fine." "Please tell me you ate dodgy take away last night." "Doubt it." The toilet flushed and the tap started to run. Ginny obviously thought she was finished throwing up. "Do I have to go and dig out your mum's morning sickness potion recipe again?" Harry tried to joke. "Might be best. I think I'm about three weeks late. I was going to take a test later, I still will, but this pretty much has me convinced. Harry had to resist the temptation to bash his head into the doorframe. He knew once it sank in properly, both he and Ginny would be ecstatic about having another baby. However, all that he could think about right now was the fact that Albus had just started sleeping through the night and the thought of another two years of 4am feeds made Harry want to curl up in a ball on the floor and cry.

Every one of Ginny's pregnancies seemed to go quicker than the one before, and in no time at all, it was May 3rd and four Potters became five. Lily Luna, from the minute she was born, was daddy's little princess. Both boys were born with jet black hair, however, it was apparent that Lily Luna was going to be as ginger as any other Weasley. Molly and Arthur both said she looked exactly as Ron did when he was also merely hours old, but she very quickly grew into a mini Ginny.

Neither Harry nor Ginny could quite be sure what happened in the next eight years, but all of a sudden James was getting on the Hogwarts Express for the first time. "Remember what I told you?" Harry asked his son. "If it's out of bounds it's for a reason, and don't annoy Peeves." James chanted for the hundred- thousandth time.

"Good boy. Now off you pop, and remember to have fun." Harry ruffled his son's hair. "And for the love of God, write to us!" Ginny called to James as he clambered on the train. James nodded and called back, but neither Harry nor Ginny heard him over the noise of the crowd and the train as it signalled it was about to leave.

Albus and Lily chased the train up the platform, waving frantically to James. Harry and Ginny stood where they were and waved until the train was out of sight. Ginny desperately fought back the tears, remembering that her mother never ever cried until the train had left the station. Once it had, she allowed a few tears to fall.

"Hey," Harry wrapped an arm around her waist to comfort her. "You know he'll be fine. He's a smart boy and he'll stay out of trouble." "Harry, he's your son. The boy is a walking trouble magnet." "Yeah, but he's your son too. That makes him a hell of a lot smarter than I was at that age." "Oh because my first year turned out so well." Ginny barked a sarcastic laugh.

"He's gone. You know Hogwarts is infinitely safer than it was back in our days. I promise you Ginny, he'll be fine. They'll all be fine." "I know."

Every September from that day until the first day of Lily's last year, the Potter's became a set piece on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. While the kids were at school, Harry and Ginny threw themselves whole-heartedly at their jobs. Harry had the Auror unit running more efficiently than it had in decades. Ginny had gotten back into Quidditch, coaching the Holyhead Harpies and the England national team. When they weren't working, they were working on renovating Harry's childhood home in Godric's Hollow, hoping to downsize there after all the kids flew the nest. What neither Harry nor Ginny had noticed was that because they were both so immersed in their work, it was starting to take a toll on their marriage.

The summer after Lily's last year at school was the next huge milestone for the Potter family. It was in July that Albus got married to his childhood sweetheart, Scorpious Malfoy - the son of none other than Draco Malfoy. Over the years, Harry and Draco had made their peace and had even been known to enjoy each other's company.

Harry sat watching his wife and son dance. It felt like Harry and Ginny's own wedding was just yesterday, and yet here they were at the first of their children's weddings. "Another drink, Sir?" Scorpious offered Harry one of the two whisky's he held. "Are you ever going to stop calling me 'Sir' and 'Mr Potter'?" Harry asked, laughing.

"Probably not, Sir." Scorp laughed along with Harry. "Sit down son." Scorpious did as he was told. "As of today, you are officially a Potter, well a Malfoy-Potter, but in my eyes you've been one of the family for years. I am putting my foot down. You call me Harry from now on, okay?" Scorpious nodded and let Harry ramble on. "I can't believe you two are married now. Doesn't it seem like just yesterday you two were running around trying to keep secrets - like we didn't already know." Scorpious laughed, "I think it was more the Montague-Capulet thing rather than being gay, to be fair. Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to be a Malfoy dating 'the Potter boy' as my Father so affectionately called him for three years?" Both Scorp and Harry fell apart laughing as Ginny came over to them. "Harry James Potter you are so drunk." "Perhaps, perhaps." "Right, bed." Ginny insisted. "You're lucky he doesn't nag like his mother," Harry slurred. "Or drink like his father." Ginny added. "We'll see you tomorrow sweetie. Love you." Ginny kissed Scorpious on the cheek while Harry tried, and failed miserably, to put his jacket on.

It was from that night on that trouble really started brewing in paradise. Harry and Ginny were starting to feel the strain of all those years spent living in the same house, but not together. After Harry took an early retirement from the Ministry, he spend pretty much all day sitting on his backside in Grimmauld Place. One night, over dinner, Ginny decided to voice her opinions. "So, do you think we'll ever actually move into Godric's Hollow?"

"Probably someday." Harry shrugged. Whatever answer Ginny wanted, that wasn't it. "Do you care about anything anymore Harry?" Ginny asked, her rage catching her off guard. "Yes." "Well it sure as hell doesn't seem like it when you just sit about all day." "Woah, what I did I do now?" "Nothing Harry, absolutely nothing. That's the problem. What happened to doing up Godric's Hollow so we could move in and give one of the kids this place?" Harry just shrugged. "See Harry, that's exactly what I'm talking about. You don't give a shit about anything anymore. Do you even care about me anymore?" Harry stared, genuinely pained by the fact that Ginny doubted him. "I love you." He told her. "Do you really or is that a habit? Because this marriage is starting to feel like a habit, don't you think." "You know what Gin, you want to go live in Godric's Hollow. On you go, I'm going to bed." Harry stormed about of the room. He had once been excited about living in Godric's Hollow, but now that it was becoming a reality and the house was nearly finished he wasn't sure if he was ready to back to where it all began.

When he awoke the next morning, Ginny's side of the bed was made up and clearly unslept in. Harry's immediate reaction was to panic. He knew he had been an arsehole the night before, but it was just a fight. Surely Ginny wouldn't have left in the middle of the night. He made his way downstairs and breathed a huge sigh of relief when he saw Ginny sitting at the kitchen table. "Ginny, oh thank God. I thought you might have left. Didn't you sleep?"

"Dad, I'm not Ginny. I'm Lily, remember?" "Oh, um yeah, sorry dear. Have you seen your mother?" Lily put her head in one hand, closed her eyes and sighed. "Dad, mum's gone, remember?" "When's she coming back?" "Daddy, she's not coming back. Mum died four years ago. Don't you remember, she got sick." "No, I was talking to her last night. We argued. Is she at Godric's Hollow? I need to tell her I'm sorry. She needs to come back." "Dad!" Lily hadn't meant to shout, she knew it wasn't his fault he didn't remember, but she was so frustrated. "I'm sorry, look I made breakfast. Why don't you eat up and I'll phone Albus then make us both a cup of tea. How does that sound?" "Okay love."

Lily left the kitchen, taking her mobile out her pocket. It was times like this that she was glad that Aunt 'Mione had introduced them all to a number of muggle gadgets as teenagers. It was times like this that they were incredibly handy. She dialled Albus' number, he picked up on the first ring. "What's up?"

"I'm up at Godric's Hollow, at dad's. He thought I was mum again. I can't do this on my own, not again. Are you busy or can you come over? I can call James if you're busy." "It's fine. Just calm down. I'll be right over." "Thank you Albie."

She hung up and went back into the kitchen to wait on Albus. It pained her to see her father like this. He was no longer Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the man who defeated Lord Voldemort. He probably didn't even remember that version of himself. Now he was Harry Potter, the Alzheimer's ridden widower. Harry Potter, the Fallen Warrior.


	4. Birthday Surprises

**Chapter Summary**

Scorpius has a special surprise for Albus' 17th birthday

* * *

 **Birthday Surprises**

 _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Chapter 18_

Albus stomped into the common room and threw his bag down on the black leather couch. He was glad it was late and nobody was there to bother him about what was wrong. He lay down on the couch and started rethinking his Transfiguration essay. His grade for this would count towards his final exam result, and Transfiguration was the only subject Albus felt he was good at – and so it was the only one he really cared about.

He sat up ready to start his fourth attempt at the bloody thing that was due in two days. He looked at the clock on the wall. It read three minutes past midnight. "Happy fucking birthday to me," Albus sighed.

It was then that he noticed a black rose on the table. Surely it hadn't been there since he came in, he would have noticed it by now. He picked it up and read the note attached to the stem.

 _Happy Birthday Albie!_

Only one person called him Albie. A smile spread across his face. A second black rose appeared on the chair opposite him. This time Albus ran to it.

 _Would you like to come and play?_

The note was written in the same barely-legible scrawl as before. If he hadn't spent years proofreading essays, he probably wouldn't even be able to read it. Again, as Albus read the note another midnight black rose appeared.

 _Don't forget the cloak. We can't have Filch getting his hands on you before I do!_

Albus sprinted upstairs to get his dad's invisibility cloak. Without their mother knowing, although it's highly unlikely she would have objected, Harry had given his children the map and cloak "just in case". Albus had indeed found the cloak very useful. A rose lay waiting for him on his bed.

 _I have everything else. You just need to bring yourself._

Albus took his robes off, grateful for the fact he had changed into skinny jeans earlier. He picked up the third rose, threw the cloak over himself and snuck out the dorm, being quiet so as not to wake the other boys. When he got back down to the common room there was a fourth rose sitting in the, usually empty, crystal vase on the table next to the door.

 _Do you know where I am?_

Albus had assumed he was going down to the lake, to the clearing, where they usually met. He wondered where else to go. Albus left the common room to be greeted by another rose lying on the floor.

 _Come and find me. You're next clue is outside the Ravenclaw Common Room._

Albus ran as fast as he could up to the second floor. He knew the cloak was flapping around his ankles as it was now too short for him, but he didn't care. There was no sign of Filch lurking about anyway, so it didn't really matter.

He reached the Ravenclaw Tower entrance a little out of breath and looked for another black rose. However, this time he found a red one lying across the top of a picture frame. "Go get 'em, Tiger," said the lady occupying the frame in her strong, yet not rough, Scottish accent.

"Thanks," Albus laughed gently before reading the note.

 _If you need to ask you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask._

Albus set off, full pelt, towards the Room of Requirement. As he got to the second staircase it decided to move – Albus was certain it did so only to inconvenience him. A second red rose appeared as it settled.

 _Albus, you should know by now I don't like to be kept waiting._

"Blame the fucking stairs!" Albus muttered under his breath. He smirked at the note as he waited impatiently for the stairs to move back. As soon as they started to move, Albus ran up them two at a time, reaching the top before they met the corridor. He bounded off the top step and landed, relatively, safely at the end of the corridor. He ran towards the Room of Requirement the quickest way he knew, stopping only at the last corner to catch his breath.

Albus walked calmly along the last stretch of corridor. About halfway along, he picked up a third red rose.

 _Knock three times._

Albus did as he was told and lifted his knuckles to the cold stone wall. Almost instantly, a small wooden door started appearing in the bricks. The door opened from the other side, and there stood the only man Albus wanted to see. Scorpius Malfoy. Green eyes met grey and both young men felt all their problems melt away.

Scorpius handed Albus an eighth rose, a white one this time.

 _I love you._

"I love you too, more than you'll ever know."

Scorpius leaned in and planted a firm kiss on the shorter boy's lips. It was only when they parted that Albus fully took in his surroundings. They were standing in the front hallway of an old stone cottage. There was a kitchen, like his grandmother's back at the burrow but a little smaller, to the left and a living room with an old stone fireplace, complete with a roaring fire burning away in front of the shag rug. All the furniture was mismatched but went well together.

"You remembered!" Albus felt himself getting a little choked up. "How could I ever forget? We did agree this is where we would grow old together." They were standing in a perfect replica of an old stone cottage that had belonged to a distant relative of Scorpius'. The original cottage stood just off the beach in Cornwall and, ever since they spent a weekend there together, they had agreed that was where they would live.

Albus hugged Scorpius tight, never wanting to let go. Scorpius had always been a romantic, but nothing he had done in the three years they had been together had amazed Albus this much. Albus lifted his head from Scorpius' shoulder, but kept his arms around his waist.

"Do I smell cookies?" Scorpius laughed, "You do, they need another five minutes or so in the oven." "I love it when you bake." Albus smiled. "I know."

This time it was Albus who initiated the kiss, pulling Scorpius down by the nape of his neck. It could've been a minute or a year later that Scorpius pulled away, they were both a little out of breath. "Go sit, I'll get the cookies."

Albus did as he was told. He sat on the floor in front of the roaring fire and waited for Scorpius to come back. "How's the essay coming along?" The blond called from the kitchen. "So well, in fact I'm finishing it right now," Albus said sarcastically as he plaited the rug.

"Forget about it. Honeywell loves you anyway, she won't care if it's late in." "I'm the only person in that class that ever actually does the homework, that's why she loves me." "Just tell her you were going to do it, but you got distracted by some hot piece of ass who can't keep his hands to himself," Scorpius suggested. "Oh yeah, that'll go down well," Albus laughed. "Well once you explain that that hot piece of ass was me, she'll realise just how hot the hottie in question is and be totally okay with it." Scorpius shrugged and sat the cookies on the coffee table before joining Albus on the floor. "I do love how modest you are, in fact I think it might be my favourite thing about you."

Albus took a cookie and bit into it. "They any good?" "Best batch yet," Albus mumbled through a mouthful of crumbs and melted chocolate. "I do love when you reveal your inner Weasley." Scorpius laughed when Albus smirked and stuck his middle finger up at him. "So," Albus started after finishing his cookie, "What's with the roses?" "I have to warn you, it's really cheesy." "Scorp, get real. Literally everything you do is cheesy." Albus smiled and lifted the roses off the table. "That's true. Well, basically they don't need water or anything which is good because you're fucking terrible at keeping plants alive. The roses will only die if our love does. Each of the colours mean something too, the white one is to mark tonight, you're seventeenth birthday. The three red roses symbolise the three years we've been together," Scorp paused and watched Albus admiring the roses. Somehow he always looked more beautiful when he wasn't doing anything. The fire gently lit up half of his face. "And the black?" Albus looked up. Scorpius started fidgeting, "They, uhm... they're for the five years that I was in love with you before you loved me back." Albus gently placed the roses down on the floor and pulled his wand out of the waistband of his jeans. He took Scorpius' hand in his own and tilted his head up so he was forced to make eye contact. "I have never not loved you," Albus told him sincerely, fighting back tears. Albus then, with the slightest flick of his wand, turned all the black roses the same vibrant red as the three others.

Before Albus really knew what was happening, Scorpius' lips were on his again. Albus lifted the roses and his wand onto the table, never once breaking contact with Scorp's lips, then pulled Scorpius down on top of him. Albus had always wondered how Scorpius didn't melt. As far as body heat went he was always at least a thousand degrees. Or maybe that was the heat between them. Albus could never be sure. One thing he could be sure of, however, was that he would never love anyone the way he loved Scorpius. He had never believed in soul mates. He believed some people had 'the one' he believed others had 'the three' or 'the five', but right about now he was starting to think that Scorpius might just be the one. After a very long and incredibly passionate make out session, they reluctantly pulled apart.

"I have a confession to make," Scorpius told Albus. Albus sat up and crossed his legs, concern spreading across his face. "Yeah?" "I don't really know how to say this. But, uhm, I'm pregnant."

"Oh my god, shut the fuck up!" Albus laughed. "You had me so scared there, you twat." Albus playfully slapped Scorp's shoulder. "Okay, okay," Scorpius laughed, "For real this time. The roses aren't your only birthday surprise. This is a muggle tradition but I think it's really sweet. So this," Scorpius pulled a ring out of his pocket, "was my grandfathers ring. Muggles call it a promise ring, and basically if you'll wear it you promise we'll be together forever."

"It sounds like an unbreakable vow, with slightly less death-y side effects." Albus commented. "Would you shut up, I am trying to be cute!" Scorpius put on his pretend tantrum face. "You're always cute, darling." "Yeah and don't you forget it. So, Albus Severus Potter, will you accept this ring and promise that one day you'll marry me?"

Albus tried to say yes, but he couldn't get the word past the lump in his throat. Instead he settled for frantic nodding and allowed Scorpius to put the ring on his finger. Albus looked at the ring properly. It was a beautiful broad silver band with a beautiful jewel in it that looked black but shone green when the light hit it right. Knowing Scorp's family history, the ring was probably centuries old and no doubt goblin made. It really was beautiful.

"Why are you crying?" Scorpius asked, Albus hadn't even noticed the tears starting to fall. "Because I'm happy." "You're an idiot." Scorpius laughed gently. "I love you too." Albus leaned in to kiss Scorpius, but Scorp turned his head away at the last second. Albus knew exactly where things were heading when Scorpius started to play the tease, so he remained unfazed and went straight for Scorp's neck.

"Do you want to take this to the bedroom?" He asked. "Now why would we do that when we could just defile this perfectly lovely rug right here?" Albus grinned cheekily. "It's up to you, but don't come moaning to me when you have carpet burn on your back." Scorpius laughed. Albus didn't say anything, he just pressed their lips together. He was fed up talking.


	5. Percy and Padfoot

**Chapter Summary**

Remus has a surprise for Sirius

* * *

 **Percy and Padfoot**

 _Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix Chapter 14_

Sirius lay on the couch flicking through last week's issue of 'Witch Weekly' which he had found lying on the floor. To this day, he wasn't sure why he had subscribed to the magazine as he never read it properly – he barely even looked at the pictures. Every issue met the same fate. It would get dumped somewhere and sit there for weeks, then – eventually – Remus would do the puzzles, then it would get burned in that night's fire. Sirius was beginning to wonder where Remus was when there was an almighty thud on the door. As if whoever stood on the other side was trying to kick it down. The sound made Sirius' blood run cold. The last time he heard a door knocked with such force was when Ministry Officials had come to tell his family that Regulus was dead. Fearing that the worst may have somehow happened to Remus whilst he was out shopping in Diagon Alley, Sirius made his way slowly towards the door. However, before he got to it, the person knocked again.  
"It's me you idiot, open the door." Remus called. "I've got no hands and I'm not head-butting the door again." Sirius leapt forward and yanked the door open quickly. He saw Remus standing there holding a ratty, soggy old cardboard box and his forehead was all red from where he had, indeed, head-butted the door.  
"What's in the box?" Sirius asked, stepping back from the door to allow Remus to enter.  
"Okay, you have to promise not to get angry. He would have died, Pads. I couldn't just leave him."  
"Oh dear Merlin, what have you done?" Sirius knew Remus felt personally connected to every animal he had ever seen. It wasn't even because he was a wolf or anything like that, it was purely because he was such a soft git. Remus being such an animal lover was something that Sirius both loved and hated. Where he had at first been excited about what was in the box, albeit a little disgusted by the box itself, he now had a knot of dread set firmly in his stomach.  
"I've already named him so you can't make me take him back." Remus insisted as he sat the box down on the kitchen floor.  
"If that's a dragon or something, I swear I'm leaving."  
"It's not a dragon. Look!" Remus laughed as he stepped away from the box to allow Sirius to have a look.

Sirius really had no idea what he was expecting to see, but when he looked in the box he saw a ball of matted black fur about the size of a Quaffle.  
"Um, Remus, what is it exactly?" He looked up, demanding an answer with an arched eyebrow.  
"It's a puppy!" Remus just about squealed.  
"Are you sure?" Sirius bit the inside of his cheek and looked back at the supposed dog in the box. It really didn't look like a puppy.

"About eighty percent." Remus told him, although it sounded more like a question. "He was just left on the street Sirius; he would have died. I couldn't just leave him there. He's only a baby and I've named him and I love him." Remus started gushing like a child, genuinely terrified that Sirius would make him put the puppy back.  
"Clearly Lily's maternal instincts are rubbing off on you." Sirius muttered, still looking at the unmoving ball of black fur.  
"Um," Remus paused. "Did you just compare your godson to a stray dog?" Sirius looked up at Remus and blinked a couple of times as he processed that yes, he had in fact just compared his new-born godson to a stray dog.  
"We never talk about this again. Agreed?"  
"Only if I get to keep Percy."  
"You named him Percy?" Sirius looked genuinely horrified, "All the other dogs will bully him!"  
"They won't bully him once they find out his dads are a werewolf and a grim." Remus argued. He knew Percy was a bit of a pompous name, but he liked it anyway.  
"For the hundredth, thousandth time. I am not a fucking grim!"  
"Don't swear in front of the baby!" Remus hissed, glaring at Sirius with wide eyes. Sirius had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing.

"Right, wake the mutt up and give him a bath. I'll boil the kettle."

The following weeks brought numerous challenges. The first of which was training the dog to go outside rather than pissing and shitting all over the flat. They also quickly realised that Percy wasn't going to let them put a collar on him. It was clear that whatever breed he was, he would be a big dog, so running around the small garden soon wouldn't be enough exercise for him. He would need walking. Both Remus and Sirius were glad that Percy's personality seemed to be emerging because he had been timid at first. However, they could have done without the puppy being, in Sirius' words "a little shit."

Remus decided he was going to have another go at getting a collar on the pup, but gave up about twenty minutes later. It was clear Percy didn't understand the collar and that he was frightened, because he just would not sit still. Suddenly Remus had a stroke of genius.  
"Padfoot?" He called. Sirius was in the kitchen, but came hurdling into the living room.  
"No. I don't know what the hell you've thought of, but no. You know I don't trust you when you call me Padfoot."  
"Please just let me put a collar on you."  
"Ooh, kinky." Sirius winked.  
"Not like that, you idiot. Let me put a collar on Padfoot so Percy can see there's nothing to be afraid of."

"And I suppose you'll want me to start pissing outside to see if he gets the hang of that too?"  
"I mean," Remus shrugged. "I wasn't going to ask, but if you're offering I don't see that it would do any harm."  
"I'm willing to try the collar thing. I'm not shitting in the garden though."  
"That's fair. He peed on the Persian rug again." Remus laughed as Sirius groaned and glared at Percy, who was entirely oblivious to his sins and was quite content chasing a fly around the flat.

Sirius stripped off and transformed into Padfoot, making sure Percy watched so he didn't get upset when there was suddenly another dog in the house. They soon realised they had nothing to be concerned about. Percy was thrilled to see Padfoot. He launched himself at Padfoot and started jumping all over the place.

"Percy, come here boy." Remus patted the couch next to him and Percy immediately bounded up. Sirius walked over to Remus and sat down between his legs. Remus pulled out one of the many extra collars he had bought – he had to confess, he had gone overboard in the pet shop – and Padfoot sat at peace while Remus put it on. The whole time, Remus spoke to Percy, explaining how the collar was nothing to be afraid of. Percy seemed to understand, or so Remus thought. Sirius was fairly sure the dog was just a moron, staring blankly at Remus expecting a treat or something. Remus lifted the collar to put on Percy, and got it about four inches from his neck, and then the dog was off like a rocket again.  
"Oh for fucks sake," Remus breathed. It wasn't often that Remus swore – in fact, almost never. "Percy, come back!" The pup wasn't having it, at which point Padfoot darted after him and picked him up by the scruff on the back of his neck. He walked back over to the couch, Percy wriggling the whole time, and put him down next to Remus. Sirius then brought his paw up, signalling to Remus to take the collar off him.  
"Stop fighting it Sirius, you're going to make him think collars are horrible."  
"Well they are! Try putting this one on him. He knows this one won't hurt him because it didn't hurt me. He just doesn't understand that one won't hurt him either because he's an idiot!"  
"You do realise you've just barked at me? I don't speak mutt."  
"I'm not a mutt. I'm a pure bred sexy and you know it."  
"Yes, I'm sure that comeback was very witty." Remus cooed and scratched behind Padfoot's ear in the most condescending manner possible. Sirius snapped at Remus' hand – with no intention of actually biting him, of course. "Wait," Sirius watched the idea dawn on Remus. "I'll put that collar on him because he knows that one is okay!"  
"I knew they called you the smart one for a reason Mooney."  
"Oh shut up, I know that tone even when you're barking at me." Remus wanted to laugh, but he stopped himself. He got Percy's attention again, and made the puppy watch him take the collar off of Sirius. He then moved it slowly closer and closer to the puppy. He got about four inches from the dog, fully expecting him to bolt, but Percy sat there quite content. Three inches, two, one. Remus clipped the collar as quickly as he possibly could once it was round the dog's neck. He then jumped up from the couch.  
"YES!" He yelled, throwing his arms above his head in victory. Padfoot jumped up and used Remus' shoulders to balance himself. Remus grabbed either side of his head. "We did it Sirius! We did it!" Sirius howled in celebration and Percy jumped around on the couch and on the two of them, not fully understanding why they were so excited but he didn't care. He was just so excited that there was buzz. "Right, get off me, you mutt." Remus affectionately pushed Sirius to the floor, who growled, disgruntled at the fact he had just been called a mutt. "Get dressed again and we'll take him down to Hyde Park."

Sirius didn't move. He strongly suspected that Percy was going to be as much of a little shit about getting a leash put on as he had been about the collar. Deciding to communicate this with Remus, Padfoot took a leash out of the bag beside the couch and dumped it on Remus' lap, then looked at Percy. Entirely unsurprisingly, Percy went mental as Remus approached him with the leash. Sirius rolled his eyes and went back in the back for another leash. Remus had bought far too many leashes as well, insisting that Percy needed one to match every collar. Remus put another collar on Padfoot, then got Percy to watch him attach a leash. After that, the puppy was happy enough to have a leash put on.

"Right boys," Remus stood, holding firmly onto both leads. "Let's go walkies!" Padfoot promptly and firmly sat back down, absolutely and decidedly not going for 'walkies'. Remus knew there was no way in hell he could pass up this opportunity. He has a leash and collar on Padfoot. It was a once in a lifetime chance and he had to take full advantage of that. James had been talking about walking Padfoot since they had all become anamagi, and would be so jealous when he found out Remus had actually done it. Remus reckoned he would be twice as mad as he would be jealous if he found out that Remus had the opportunity to walk Padfoot, but then passed it up.

As Remus dragged Padfoot towards the door, he took great reassurance in the fact that had the situation been reversed – and he was a dog and Sirius human right now – Sirius would have most definitely taken him for a walk in Hyde Park. Percy was already having a great time, thinking that getting Sirius out of the flat was some kind of game, so as Remus dragged him from the front, Percy was trying his damnedest to push him from the back. Sirius weighed up his options. If he didn't walk, he was going to end up getting strangled by the collar, and if he transformed into a human again, he would also get strangled. Given that he had no particular desire to die, he begrudgingly decided to walk. He also decided when they got to the park, he was going to make Remus' life a living hell.

In the park, Percy was having a great time chasing pigeons. He was constantly trying to run further than the leash would allow, and fell over just about every time he tried to pull away. Remus was muttering about a dislocated shoulder and Sirius was chuckling away to himself. They walked closer and closer to a fountain, and Sirius decided to make a break for it. He tore off at full pelt, leaving Remus no choice but to let go of the leash. He torpedoed past families who were enjoying a nice day out, just about knocked a toddler off her feet, and jumped straight in the fountain, soaking everyone in a five-foot radius.

"PADFOOT!" Remus yelled, apologising to everyone he ran past and fighting Percy, who was adamant about running in the opposite direction. Seeing Remus struggling, a girl about the same age as them jumped up and grabbed Padfoot out of the fountain and walked him over to Remus. "Thank you!" Remus gasped as she handed him the leash.  
"It's no bother, my dog's an arsehole too." She laughed. "Yours are much cuter than mine though. What's their names?"  
"That idiot is Padfoot," Remus nodded to Sirius, "and the pup is Percy."  
"Aw!" She cooed and knelt down to pet them both. Sirius didn't like how close her head was to Remus' groin. He also didn't like the way she looked at him, or the fact that she played with her hair, or the fact that she giggled every time either of them spoke. "How old are they?" She asked.  
"Percy's only a few months, I'm not sure exactly. I found him in a box on the street and I couldn't just leave him there." The girl gasped and put a hand on her chest.  
"That is so sweet!" She smiled at him seductively. Sirius growled quietly.  
"Oi, you!" Remus nudged him in the side with his knee. "That's enough. This one's twenty-one next week."  
"Really? Wow, he's got a lot of life in him for an old dog." She patted Sirius on the head. He hated it.  
"Well, he's twenty-one in dog years. He's three." Remus laughed, as did the girl.  
"Listen, there's a group of us all studying over by the fountain. Would you like to join us if you're not busy?"  
"I'd love too, but I need to get these two home soon."  
"Yeah, okay." The girl looked a little dismayed, as if she wasn't used to getting rejected. Sirius couldn't help but feel a little smug. "I'll maybe see you around?" The girl flashed him that smile once last time, then went back to her friends.

Remus walked them around the entire park, trying to keep Percy and Padfoot away from as many people, puddles and fountains as possible. Sirius, however, wasn't through with his revenge. Percy had decided to take a dump right in the middle of the path, so while Remus picked up the poo, he escaped for the second time that day. He ran straight for an attractive young man who was sitting on a bench. He had clearly been running and had stopped for a break. Sirius sniffed around the man's knees and allowed himself to be patted. When he was sure Remus was looking again, he started humping the man's leg. The look of sheer embarrassment on Remus' face was something that Sirius would relish for years to come.  
"Oh my god! I am so sorry!" Remus said to the man, pulling Padfoot away as sharply as he could. Deciding not to torture Remus anymore, Sirius allowed himself to be dragged away. The guy on the bench just looked awkwardly at Remus, who walked away as quickly as he could.

"You're a disgusting, petty, immature man, Black, and you had best hope I decide to take that collar off you or you'll be stuck as a dog forever!" Remus hissed at him. Sirius couldn't help himself but laugh. A strange bark came out of Padfoot's mouth. One that muggles would swear sounded a little like a human laughing. Remus dragged Sirius out of the park and Percy pottered along quite happily next to them. Once out of sight of any muggles, Remus apparated the three of them home. As revenge for Sirius' revenge in the park, Remus didn't take the collar off him that night and made Padfoot sleep in Percy's bed while Percy got to share the bed with Remus.


	6. A Place to Hide

Chapter Summary

Hufflepuff must do all she can to protect her students

* * *

A Place to Hide

 _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Chapter 9_

It was the most miserable of October nights. The rain and hail battering against the window created as much a ruckus as the argument happening on the other side of the glass, in the hospital wing. It was rare for young Helga Hufflepuff to lose her temper, but when she did she was a force to be reckoned with. Rather unfortunately for him, the man who had to reckon with that force was the healer, Mungo. Mungo was world renowned for being the best at his craft, however, it was the opinion of Hufflepuff that he wasn't doing enough to help her friends.

It was no great surprise to any of them, that as Gryffindor and Ravenclaw lay on their deathbeds, Slytherin was nowhere to be seen. It seemed curious timing to Hufflepuff that he was suddenly, once again, pressing his anti-muggle agenda. She thought it no coincidence that as Gryffindor and Ravenclaw grew weaker, Slytherin grew evermore radical. She found herself wondering if Slytherin was the reason Gryffindor and Ravenclaw lay dying. But then, she reasoned, if he had indeed poisoned them; why not poison her also? She scolded herself for thinking such terrible thoughts about Slytherin. It was true he was a radical blood-loyalist, but he was no murderer. Not yet, she reminded herself. After all, he had been bragging about breeding a basilisk and one does not breed a basilisk without intent to murder.

"Helga," Ravenclaw's voice was quiet and hoarse. She sounded almost as dreadful as she looked.

"You mustn't strain yourself Rowena. Rest." Hufflepuff refrained from shouting at the healer long enough to acknowledge her friend. The timid healer took this opportunity to retreat.

"No, it is you who must rest. Mungo is doing everything he can. You needn't shout at him; it shan't cure us any quicker."

"As always, she is right." Gryffindor spoke for the first time in three days. He was suffering much worse than Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff had been expecting him to die at any moment for perhaps about a week now. She suspected even Mungo was a little perplexed by him still living.

"I don't like feeling so helpless. There is nothing I can do for either of you." Hufflepuff hung her head solemnly. Quite often, she felt useless.

"You must prepare yourself." Gryffindor told her, "Should the worst happen, you must be ready to protect the school from Salazar."

"How exactly would I do that? He is more powerful than me, he has more students."

"Protect your muggle-borns, the others will be fine." Ravenclaw advised. "If he does have the basilisk he so often brags about, then the muggle-borns are in imminent danger."

"He has no such creature." Gryffindor callously dismissed the women's concerns.

"I think it would be wise to assume that he does." Ravenclaw snapped at him. "It is wise to be prepared for events that may not happen. It is foolish not to prepare for events that may happen."

"Always the philosopher, Rowena." Gryffindor would have laughed had he been capable.

"Even as you lay dying, you argue." Hufflepuff couldn't help herself but to smile. For the first time in several weeks her friends were, at the very least, shadows of their former selves.

"Helga, it is well past mid-night. You should retire. We shall still be here tomorrow." Ravenclaw encouraged.

"I wouldn't make any such promise so boldly." Gryffindor coughed as he spoke. It was difficult to tell if he spoke in jest, or if he truly believed he may die that night. Hufflepuff suspected it be both.

"Rowena is right; I shall be of no use tomorrow without sleep. Do tell Mungo to wake me if he needs me."

"Of course." Ravenclaw nodded in affirmation of her promise. Hufflepuff was about to take her leave when Gryffindor spoke to her, his tone more serious than she could recall it ever being.

"Helga," he strained himself to sit upright. "You must promise to keep my students safe as well as your own."

"And also mine." Ravenclaw added. Hufflepuff was loathed to answer them. She did not want to hear her friends dying wishes. "And Helena. You must promise to make sure she is raised well."

"I shall do no such thing. You'll both be cured and teach your own students and raise your own daughters." Hufflepuff was not naïve. She was well aware of the fact that her friends would most likely die. However, she refused to give up hope. She would not give up until it was too late. She was quite certain that if she were to give up on them, they would give up on themselves.

Back in her quarters, she found that the peace of sleep would not grace her. She pondered well into the early hours of the morning how she might protect the students from the wrath of Salazar Slytherin. They had all been made fully aware of Slytherin's thoughts about muggle-born wizards when they had opened the school half a decade ago. That first year, out of nothing but spite, Gryffindor had taken only muggle-born students under his wing. In all the ten years that the quartet had been teaching, Slytherin was yet to teach a muggle-born. It had been causing tensions to rise for quite some time. Suddenly an idea struck her as a beater would strike a bludger. If Slytherin had created his beloved secret chamber, there was no reason she couldn't create a secret room to protect her most threatened students. It would be a most difficult task, no doubt, but one she had to do. She decided it best to use the seventh-floor left corridor as there was very little else in that area of the school. In her mind, room would provide anything the students may need. It could meet their every whim and fancy. But, above all, it would protect them. The room would be the perfect place to hide. It was her intention that the room would continue to protect her students in the case that she no longer could. More than ever, Hufflepuff was feeling the pressure of a ticking clock. She knew Mungo was giving her friends extra time, but he still provided no cure.

For several days, Hufflepuff spent every spare moment she had creating her secret room. The magic was complex and draining, and by the end of the week it had taken everything out of her. She looked every bit quite as dreadful as her dying friends.

"Aunt Helga," Rowena's daughter Helena addressed her at dinner one evening, "Is mother going to die?"

"No," Hufflepuff's answer was too quick of her tongue to fool any adult. Luckily the child, bright as she was, still believed that adults never lied. "The healer is doing his best work."  
"And what of Professor Gryffindor? He is much more ill than mother." Even at such a young age, the girl showed tremendous compassion and had a genuine thirst for knowledge of both the good and the bad. She was already a fantastic witch, and if Hufflepuff could create the perfect student, they would be none too different from Helena Ravenclaw.  
"Professor Gryffindor is not any more ill than your mother." Hufflepuff chose not to lie to the child – there was little point. It was true enough that Gryffindor was no more ill than Ravenclaw, but he did not wear it so well.  
"What will happen to me if mother dies? Father died fighting the trolls. I have no more family."  
"Nonsense child, everyone at Hogwarts is your family. Should your mother pass, I'll look after you myself." The girl seemed satisfied with the answer she received and turned her attention back to her dinner, giving Hufflepuff the opportunity to ponder further her sacred room. It was near completion but, like all magic, she could not possibly know that it would work until she had finished.

The following fortnight brought with it more trials than Hufflepuff could ever remember facing. She had classes and students to deal with, friends to help nurse, a terrorist to keep at bay and a young girl to look after – all on top of creating her secret room. It was a wonder to her that she got any sleep at all. It caused her no end of worry that neither Gryffindor nor Ravenclaw showed any signs of better health, however, neither had passed which felt like a victory. Well, it was a victory of sorts. Every day felt like they were winning the battle, but inevitably losing the war against death.

She decided she would test her room that night, firmly believing she had now been successful. She was in her last class of the day, when one of Slytherin's students burst through the door.  
"Professor Hufflepuff, you must come now!" Hufflepuff was about to tell the young man to leave her classroom and enter again in a politer and more acceptable manner, however he continued to speak. "It's Professor Gryffindor. Mungo asked that I fetch you immediately."  
"Class dismissed." She said nothing else and asked no further explanation, then left the room deciding it best to sprint to the hospital wing. Upon her arrival, she was surprised to see Slytherin by Gryffindor's bedside. Gryffindor must be in much more peril than she feared. He already looked dead, except for the slight rise and fall of his chest giving him away.  
"How long?" Hufflepuff asked Mungo.  
"An hour. Perhaps two if he's lucky." Mungo whispered.  
"If I were lucky, I'd have gone two moons ago." Gryffindor spluttered. The healer's attempts to spare his ears were clearly wasted. "I am not afraid to die. You needn't treat me like a terrified child."  
"Godric," Ravenclaw spoke softly from her own bed. "What shall you do?"  
"You were right, if it is our time then there is nothing we can do to stop that. I shouldn't want to stay in this world forever. Besides, to a well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure." Hufflepuff could only assume that this was the conclusion to a previous conversation and that her friends had discussed staying in this realm as ghosts at a much greater length.

Hufflepuff stayed with her friends through the night. On several occasions, Gryffindor's breathing slowed so much that she was sure he had gone. As the clock struck two, she could no longer keep her eyes open. Keeping Gryffindor's hand in hers, she slept in the armchair between the beds he and Ravenclaw lay in. He would most likely pass while she slept, and she didn't want him to leave this world alone.

The clock chimed six, and Hufflepuff woke with a fright. The sun threatened to rise, making the room almost light enough for her to see. The first thing she noticed, Slytherin was nowhere to be seen. The second thing she noticed was Gryffindor's gentle snoring. Not trusting her ears, she pressed two fingers into his wrist. His heart was indeed still beating! It was a well-known truth that Godric Gryffindor was a warrior, but she didn't think him capable of fighting death itself.

Panic overwhelmed Hufflepuff for a second. She worried that perhaps Death had indeed visited during the night, but gotten confused, and taken her other friend. Her doubts vanished, however, when she turned to see Ravenclaw's chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Once again, by nothing short of a miracle, both her friends had made it through another night. Hufflepuff knew she was lucky that her friends would live to see another sunrise, and she knew she shouldn't tempt that luck, but it felt like it had more to give. Wasting no time, she raced to the seventh-floor corridor.

Staring at the wall she had been enchanting for weeks now, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and asked it, "Can you help me protect the muggle-borns? Can you give them a place where Salazar can do them no harm? Can you give them a place to hide?" Her heart was racing as she opened her eyes, however, it quickly plummeted to her stomach. Nothing had happened. The wall was still nothing more than a wall. All of her efforts had been for nothing and, worse than that, she still had no way to defend her students. Disgruntled and disheartened, Hufflepuff turned to leave. As she did, however, something caught her eye.

At first she thought she had imagined it. That it was a trick of the light, caused by the rising sun flooding in the window at the end of the corridor. But soon it stood, clear as day, a door. Hufflepuff felt a huge wave of pride and satisfaction hit her all at once. Despite her doubts, the secret room had worked – or so it would appear. She opened the door tentatively, eager yet anxious to see what the room had provided her with.

Once inside, she could not have been more thrilled with the results. The room was rather large, perhaps about the size of the Great Hall, and was better equipped than she could have dreamed. Bookcases covered the length of the wall to her right, and a huge table like the ones the students ate at ran down the centre of the room. Along the right had side, the room had provided twenty or so beds – presumably one for each muggle-born student, although Hufflepuff couldn't know off the top of her head how many muggle-born students they had in the school. The beds were separated by privacy screens like the ones in the hospital wing, and the room had also provided plenty of fireplaces.

Hufflepuff's pride was quickly replaced with self-doubt. She couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the room had only responded to her wishes because she had created it. She also began to ponder its limitations – after all, all magic has limitations. In her mind, she heard Gryffindor tell her to 'kill two dragons with one curse' and who better to do so than Helena. Nothing could push magic to its limits than the imagination of a child. Hufflepuff left the room, wanting to bring the young girl back to it before breakfast.

"I am not sure I understand, Aunt Helena." The girl confessed once confronted with the wall. "I can ask for anything, and your secret room will just give me it?"  
"Yes, child. If you ask three times, it will provide it."  
"Can it give us a cure for mother and Professor Gryffindor?" Hufflepuff feared she would ask this. There was no possible way the room could help her friends defy death – no magic could – however, she did not want to tell Helena that.  
"I don't know. Why don't you ask." Hufflepuff advised.

"Can you cure my mother?" The girl asked three times. Helena waited with baited breath as the door reappeared. Helena opened the door excitedly, but was clearly disappointed with what she saw. Hufflepuff stepped around the door to see what, if anything, the room had produced. It was nothing compared to the grand hall it had given her earlier. What they were faced with now was the size of a broom closet with one single shelf placed at eye level. On the shelf sat a red leather bound book, which Hufflepuff lifted down. It was open at a page describing how to make a complicated potion of some description. The potion was definitely one to heal, as it used many common healing ingredients, but it gave no mention as to what it was to cure. Hufflepuff was a little doubtful, but decided to take the book to Mungo. Perhaps, if they were all very lucky, her little room would be capable of helping them defy death after all.

Helena, what with being young, curious and bright, asked questions constantly as they walked to the hospital wing.  
"Aunt Helena, did you create that room to keep the muggle-borns safe from Professor Slytherin?"  
"Whatever makes you think that?"  
"One of Professor Gryffindor's students told me that Professor Slytherin is dangerous and hates muggle-borns, then you created a secret room. I'm making assumptions."  
"Well there's no point in hiding it I suppose, you are correct. But you mustn't tell anyone, or else it will all be for nothing."  
"If no one but the muggle-borns are to know you should tell them a riddle so that they can talk about it without having to worry about anyone overhearing. That is what mother loves so much about riddles."  
"I have a feeling you already have a riddle." Hufflepuff smiled at the bright young witch.  
"Well, yes. I think so." Helena giggled a little, quite proud of her own wit.  
"Are you going to tell me?" Hufflepuff paused at the doors of the hospital wing.  
"If you know, you need only ask. If you need to ask, you'll never know."

Hufflepuff would come to learn later that day that her room would not be required. It came as quite a shock to everyone in the school that Slytherin had left the night before. The only explanation he left was a short note addressed to Gryffindor that Gryffindor would not share with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. She was, of course, glad that her room would go unused. Their school was supposed to be a safe place to teach young witches and wizards, and since Slytherin vanished without a trace, that could now be the case. Helga Hufflepuff would never know what Helena would come to learn. Some thousand years later, the Room of Requirement would be used for its original purpose. But not only would it save the lives of several students, her room would help to save the school.


End file.
